Is it permissible to work as a university lecturer—which requires a master's degree as a condition for participating in the interview—based on a master's degree obtained through unintentional cheating, knowing that the doctoral degree was obtained without cheating? What is the ruling on the salary resulting from this work? Is it obligatory to re-study for the master's degree? And does the answer differ if the cheating was intentional?

The scarcity of resources is not a justification for plagiarizing the work of others to obtain an academic degree, and the perpetrator must offer sincere repentance. As for obtaining a job that requires a Master's or PhD, there is no harm in it if the PhD was obtained through genuine and legitimate effort, and the Master's deception is not impactful since a higher degree was obtained legitimately. The permissibility of the salary is contingent on performing the work as required. Sheikh Ibn Baz issued a fatwa permitting the salary of someone who cheated on a certificate but then perfected the work, and he must repent. Based on this, there is no harm in taking on the new job at the university and presenting the PhD certificate. There is no need to inform officials about the old deception, and the salary is permissible, Allah willing. One can perform Hajj and spend from it on charitable deeds. The statement by some scholars about obtaining new academic degrees is a guidance towards what is better, not an obligation. The servant should increase in seeking forgiveness and performing good deeds, for "indeed, good deeds do away with ill deeds."